8 Things Carrie Bradshaw Lied To You About Living In The City
Anyone who has binge watched Sex and the City knows the fairytale lifestyle of Carrie Bradshaw. A closet full of Manolo Blahnik’s (in every color), dinners at the trendiest restaurants almost every night, all on a freelance writer’s budget. Now don’t get me wrong, I applaud Carrie for writing her no shame articles about sex and relationships. However, as any aspiring writer, Carrie’s Upper East side apartment and glamorous nights out on the town are anything but realistic.
Before moving to the city, I was looking forward to sipping cosmos, falling in love, and solving my romantic-comedy life with ‘what would Carrie Bradshaw do?’ Boy was I wrong.
Whether you are moving to the city to further your career or to find the ‘two L’s’ (labels and love), it can be both exciting and scary. So before you pack your bags and channel your inner Bradshaw, here is a list of reasons why Carrie’s city lifestyle was all a lie.
1. Living on the Upper East side is totally realistic
Finding an available apartment in the Upper East side is a process, let alone one that is the perfect size, affordable, and equipped with a walk in closet. Better luck keeping that expectation on your apartment Pinterest board.
2. Finding a guy will be so easy
When Alexandor Patrovsky and Mr. Big weren’t fighting over Carrie, she had someone new linked to her every season. Yes, we have numerous dating apps with our fates depending on a left or right swipe, but it could take months to find a decent guy to have a committed relationship with.
3. Kitchens are meant to store your sweaters in your oven
As an avid SATC watcher, I can maybe recall Carrie using her kitchen twice for cooking. As if her lavish walk in closet wasn’t enough, Carrie got creative and used her oven to stock her sweaters. Not everyone can afford take-out and dinner parties every night, so you will need that kitchen to save money and cook (even if it is just a Cup of Noodles).
4. Paychecks are meant for shoes and more shoes
Carrie was known for her addiction to Manolo Blahniks. Every paycheck lead to a new dazzling pair, but what paid for rent and bills? Budgeting your paycheck is key, especially living in the city.
5. Taking cabs everywhere is cheap
There is no better feeling than hailing a cab in the city like a total pro. The problem -they are not cheap compared to the subway or walking. Unless you have a Mr. Big to pick you up by his personal driver, it would be smart to skip the cabs.
6. Freelancing is enough to live a glamorous city life
As much as I wish this was true, Carrie has once again lied. Writing a column a week, never working in an office, and spending your paychecks towards your wardrobe sounds ideal but unfortunately is far from the truth.
7. Weekly brunches are realistic
Don’t get me wrong I love a good brunch. But how are these girls always able to afford brunch so often? A casual diner is a good spot for girl talk and gossip, but when juggling so many bills and payments, it is more realistic to meet up without the brunch.
8. Mr. Big will always come back
For nearly a decade, Carrie and Mr. Big had a roller coaster relationship. Throughout all the fights and lies, Big stuck around, which not many guys would do. To top it off, he flew to Paris to steal her away from her unhappy relationship with Mr. Patrovsky. So. Not. Realistic.